Diversity

Ideas are at the center of the Chicago Booth culture, and we believe that great ideas have many different fingerprints. It is necessary to have students with diverse backgrounds and multiple perspectives in order to arrive at the best ideas. It is this philosophy that has facilitated our long-standing commitment to diversity. This is why we were the first university to grant an MBA to a woman, the first university to award an MBA to an African-American student, and the first business school to establish a minority scholarship program. Diversity is essential if we want to create an environment where we can continue to generate and refine ideas that truly impact the world we live in.

We actively recruit and support gays and lesbians, women, and under-represented minorities. The Admissions Office partners with several organizations to reach out and attract the best students by hosting admission events for women, gays and lesbians, and minorities.

Office of Diversity Affairs

The Office of Diversity Affairs (ODA) leads our support efforts, serving as a liaison between students, Chicago Booth offices, and corporate partners to provide unique programming that complements both the educational and recruiting experiences. ODA plans numerous events to serve the professional needs of women, gay and lesbian, and minority graduate business students. Check out our programming.

Scholarships and Fellowships

In addition to merit-based scholarships, Chicago Booth offers several internal and corporate-based fellowships to support women and underrepresented minorities in their pursuit of a Full-Time MBA degree. Several of our fellowships are exclusive to women, such as the Forté Fellowship and the Herman Family Fellowship for Women in Entrepreneurship. We are also pleased to partner with several well-known corporations to offer other awards, which include the opportunity for mentorship and career guidance. Learn more about Scholarships and Fellowships. For additional information on financial aid, please contact the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.

As such, Chicago Booth is committed to increasing access to a top-tier business education for gays and lesbians, women and underrepresented minorities and to providing networking and fellowship opportunities for these underrepresented groups. While at Booth, students from diverse communities can find a wealth of support networks, from our dedicated Office of Diversity Affairs (one of the first of its kind, established in 1985) to student groups to our association with several national organizations who are dedicated to helping students attain positions of leadership in business. These networks serve to advise, support, and provide resources to students through key networking and professional activities.